diff --git a/lms/static/sass/course/base/_base.scss b/lms/static/sass/course/base/_base.scss
index 1edb9aa7ba..902c8025fd 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/course/base/_base.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/course/base/_base.scss
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ body {
   min-width: 980px;
   min-height: 100%;
   background: url(../images/bg-texture.png) #d6d6d6;
+  font-style: normal;
 }
 
 body, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, p, p a:link, p a:visited, a, label {
@@ -39,11 +40,6 @@ a {
   }
 }
 
-
-
-
-
-
 form {
   label {
     display: block;
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/course/layout/_courseware_header.scss b/lms/static/sass/course/layout/_courseware_header.scss
index 86b5fe58c5..103139b330 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/course/layout/_courseware_header.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/course/layout/_courseware_header.scss
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ nav.course-material {
         }
 
         &.active {
-          // background: rgba(0, 0, 0, .2);
           @include linear-gradient(top, rgba(0, 0, 0, .4), rgba(0, 0, 0, .25));
           background-color: transparent;
           @include box-shadow(0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, .5), 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, .3) inset);
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/course/wiki/_wiki.scss b/lms/static/sass/course/wiki/_wiki.scss
index 1bc38abd9a..84260e2a86 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/course/wiki/_wiki.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/course/wiki/_wiki.scss
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ section.wiki {
 
   #hint_id_content {
     position: absolute;
-    top: 10px;
+    top: 4px;
     right: 0%;
     font-size: 12px;
     text-align:right;
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/ie.scss b/lms/static/sass/ie.scss
index 35997d95a7..a22d3935fd 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/ie.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/ie.scss
@@ -130,6 +130,13 @@ header.global {
   background: #000;
 }
 
-.modal .inner-wrapper form label {
-  display: block;
+nav.course-material ol.course-tabs li a.active, nav.course-material .xmodule_SequenceModule nav.sequence-nav ol.course-tabs li a.seq_video.active, .xmodule_SequenceModule nav.sequence-nav nav.course-material ol.course-tabs li a.seq_video.active {
+  background-color: #333;
+  background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, .4);
 }
+
+header.global ol.user > li.primary a.dropdown {
+  padding-top: 6px;
+  padding-bottom: 6px;
+}
+
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/shared/_footer.scss b/lms/static/sass/shared/_footer.scss
index d182ed4316..a418b887ad 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/shared/_footer.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/shared/_footer.scss
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ footer {
           padding: 0;
 
           a {
+            @include inline-block;
             opacity: 0.3;
             @include transition(all, 0.1s, linear);
 
diff --git a/lms/static/sass/shared/_modal.scss b/lms/static/sass/shared/_modal.scss
index 409c6088ec..b7ea762ce8 100644
--- a/lms/static/sass/shared/_modal.scss
+++ b/lms/static/sass/shared/_modal.scss
@@ -147,10 +147,9 @@
       }
 
       label {
-        display: none;
+        color: #999;
 
         &.field-error {
-          display: block;
           color: #8F0E0E;
 
           + input {
@@ -164,6 +163,14 @@
         margin-right: 5px;
       }
 
+      ::-webkit-input-placeholder {
+        color: #ddd;
+      }
+
+      :-moz-placeholder {  
+        color: #ddd;  
+      }
+
       textarea {
         background: rgb(255,255,255);
         display: block;
diff --git a/lms/templates/login_modal.html b/lms/templates/login_modal.html
index 8652f457e6..d7d327178c 100644
--- a/lms/templates/login_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/login_modal.html
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 
     <form id="login_form" class="login_form" method="post" data-remote="true" action="/login">
       <label>E-mail</label>
-      <input name="email" type="email" placeholder="E-mail">
+      <input name="email" type="email">
       <label>Password</label>
-      <input name="password" type="password" placeholder="Password">
+      <input name="password" type="password">
       <label class="remember-me">
         <input name="remember" type="checkbox" value="true">
         Remember me
diff --git a/lms/templates/main.html b/lms/templates/main.html
index 51b8d6030e..ec0b907fdf 100644
--- a/lms/templates/main.html
+++ b/lms/templates/main.html
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 
   <%static:css group='application'/>
 
-  <!--[if lte IE 9]>
-  <%static:css group='ie-fixes'/>
-  <![endif]-->
   <%static:js group='main_vendor'/>
   <%block name="headextra"/>
 
@@ -18,6 +15,9 @@
   <!--[if lt IE 9]>
   <script src="${static.url('js/html5shiv.js')}"></script>
   <![endif]-->
+  <!--[if lte IE 9]>
+  <%static:css group='ie-fixes'/>
+  <![endif]-->
 
   <meta name="path_prefix" content="${MITX_ROOT_URL}">
 </head>
diff --git a/lms/templates/main_django.html b/lms/templates/main_django.html
index d300e666a9..fa59f0128b 100644
--- a/lms/templates/main_django.html
+++ b/lms/templates/main_django.html
@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@
   {% block headextra %}{% endblock %}
   {% render_block "css" %}
   
+  <!--[if lte IE 9]> <link href="{% static "sass/ie.css" %}" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <![endif]-->
+
   <meta name="path_prefix" content="{{MITX_ROOT_URL}}">
+
+  <!--[if lt IE 9]>
+  <script src="{% static "js/html5shiv.js" %}"></script>
+  <![endif]-->
 </head>
 
 
@@ -40,4 +46,4 @@
   Inheriting from this file allows us to include apps that use the
   django templating system without rewriting all of their views in
   mako. 
-{% endcomment %}
\ No newline at end of file
+{% endcomment %}
diff --git a/lms/templates/signup_modal.html b/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
index 1510eb407b..96b2e33ac3 100644
--- a/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
@@ -21,18 +21,18 @@
         <div class="input-group">
 	  % if has_extauth_info is UNDEFINED:
           <label data-field="email">E-mail*</label>
-          <input name="email" type="email" placeholder="E-mail*">
+          <input name="email" type="email" placeholder="eg. example@edx.org">
           <label data-field="password">Password*</label>
-          <input name="password" type="password" placeholder="Password*">
+          <input name="password" type="password" placeholder="****">
           <label data-field="username">Public Username*</label>
-          <input name="username" type="text" placeholder="Public Username*">
+          <input name="username" type="text" placeholder="Shown on forms">
           <label data-field="name">Full Name</label>
-          <input name="name" type="text" placeholder="Full Name*">
+          <input name="name" type="text" placeholder="For your certificate">
 	  % else:
 	  <p><i>Welcome</i> ${extauth_email}</p><br/>
 	  <p><i>Enter a public username:</i></p>
           <label data-field="username">Public Username*</label>
-          <input name="username" type="text" value="${extauth_username}" placeholder="Public Username*">
+          <input name="username" type="text" value="${extauth_username}" placeholder="Shown on forums">
 	  % endif
         </div>
 
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@
           </section>
 
           <label data-field="mailing_address">Mailing address</label>
-          <textarea name="mailing_address" placeholder="Mailing address"></textarea>
+          <textarea name="mailing_address"></textarea>
           <label data-field="goals">Goals in signing up for edX</label>
-          <textarea name="goals" placeholder="Goals in signing up for edX"></textarea>
+          <textarea name="goals"></textarea>
 
         </div>